


Tempest

by BellamyTaft



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: All characters included but only POV characters tagged, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Character Death, Gen, Injury, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-04-30 01:53:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14486238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BellamyTaft/pseuds/BellamyTaft
Summary: Fed up with the constant end-of-the-world situations they constantly find themselves thrown into, the majority of governments come together and make a decision. Everyone associated with the millennium items will be sent away to a location where they aren't a threat to anyone but themselves. The full cast is imprisoned on an uninhabited island, where they are left to find a way to survive together or kill each other off.





	1. Prologue

Seto finally sat down at twilight, leaning against the rocky outcropping close to where the tree line began, and looked out to the incoming storm clouds beginning to block out the sun. The evening chill settled over the island, and Wheeler moved from group to group starting their fires. Ryou had kept their own kindled throughout the day, despite the humidity, and if one too many people hadn’t been sitting around it, Seto might have gone to it.

He picked at a broken blister on his palm, eyes closed to try convincing himself the wind was still warm. Only the frame of their shelter, which Mokuba insisted on calling a house, had been completed, and the rest was a patchwork of tarp. It wouldn’t keep out the wind and the rain.

Nothing ever kept out the rain, and the cold permeated everything after nightfall. Their jackets were all supposedly windbreakers and water resistant, but they were useless. They were as useless as everything else out here, as all their efforts that would turn out for nothing.

This was a death sentence. For such a large island to be uninhabited, it couldn’t have been survivable. With days too hot and nights too cold, they wouldn’t make it long.

For Mokuba’s sake, he would keep trying.

Seth approached to sit beside Seto, arm to arm, wrists just barely grazing. Seto’s energy had dwindled during the day, but he still wasn’t ready to recharge.

“We got the tarp nailed back down.”

“It’ll be riddled with holes before anything is built.”

“There are more.”

“Then you bargain with him.”

Seto’s head throbbed with Seth’s pressing thoughts, questioning Seto’s past and how it affected his current views about the others imprisoned with them. But the more he dug into Seto’s mind, the harder Seto pressed back, trying to form the wall Ryou had described, but Seto hadn’t been able to replicate.

“I would if you only told me—”

“No.”

Despite his exhaustion, Seto stood and dusted the sand off his pants. “I wasn’t asking for your help.”

He would handle Gozaburo on his own.

But before anything else, he had to finish preparing for the rain certain to hit within the hour. It was too dark to do much in the way of final preparations, but even adding a few more logs to the fire would help stave the cold. Soon, he would build a covering for it so the rain wouldn’t put it out.

“Kaiba,” Bakura called out, waving him over. “This side is pulling out.”

Their fire and the dying sunlight wasn’t enough to get a good look at it, and in all their superior judgment, the government hadn’t thought to send them with flashlights, blankets, or anything they actually needed.

He knelt to feel for the nails keeping the tarp to the frame of their shelter, and finding it tight, moved on to the next one.

“You’re supposed to be good at this,” Bakura said.

“Do you recall me making a living from sticks and twigs?”

And on sand with hardly any useful supplies. To fight the weather, they might have to find a way to make bricks, or double the walls to add an insulating layer in between. But after so many days in, Seto couldn’t fathom making it that long. If the elements didn’t kill them, someone would. Maybe it would be Gozaburo, maybe the Ishtar spirit whose new name Seto could never remember, or maybe someone slightly less expected, but equally insane, like a Keith Howard or Crump.

“Grab another nail.”

It might help if the winds were as strong as they had been the night before. He could double tack the tarp to the frame, but all that would do was add another hole that would rip like the rest of them.

“Actually, get the rope instead. And let me borrow your knife.”

“Which one?”

Seto glared tiredly. “I don’t give a shit.”

He used the knife Bakura produced seemingly from nowhere to cut off a smaller section of rope—they didn’t have much to spare—and thread that through one of the holes widened by a nail. Maybe the rope would give a better outcome.

If he had to add another maybe to his growing list, Seto wasn’t sure what he would have to do. Even answering one of the questions would go a long way, and every answer seemed impossible to solve. After all, how would they solve anything without supplies?

Given any choice though, Seto would have chosen sleep. He would have been able to think more clearly after getting a full night, not the on and off spells he had been able to get in the crammed space they had managed to construct.

He waited for a breeze to make sure the middle of the tarp was staying in place, and confirming it was, stood.

“Where is Mokuba?”

“Ran off with the landlord somewhere.”

“Where?”

Bakura closed his eyes a moment. “They’re trying to bargain with Mako for a free dinner.”

Seto wanted to have him call Mokuba back, but it would be simpler to go to him instead. They needed dinner, or they would be stuck with the limited supplies they had been sent. Taylor would get the garden going in time, if he could keep it growing with so much rain, they would have a better set of options. For now, it was fish or rice. Seto didn’t know who ran off with all the dried beans.

“Stay here.”

“Have the priest babysit the goods.”

“As long as one of you does, I don’t care who stays.”

But after Gozaburo had ended up with half of the supplies they were sent with, someone had to watch what little they had.

He left before Bakura could put up more of an argument, but it rang in his thoughts as Seth picked it up. If he had known about their millennia-long feud, he wouldn’t have agreed to partner with Bakura. He and Mokuba would have found a way to make it on their own.

Except the geek squad liked Ryou and were willing to share anything they had with him. Connections would likely be everything out here. Who knew what the rules would end up being once everyone had settled.

“Seto!” Mokuba called, waving him over to the fire outside what the geek squad had managed to put together, which was little more than a tarp too high off the ground. But the last Seto had checked, they were all cramming into the government-made shelter, the one Solomon was using to store their medical supplies.

Another sign they were sent here for death—thirty-eight people had been given shelter to accommodate twenty-five.

“It’s getting dark,” Seto said.

“Yeah, we’re on our way,” Mokuba said. “Just as soon as our newest friend Mako agrees to a trade.”

“Not agreeing to one,” Mako said, and propped his makeshift fishing rod against a nearby tree. “An open-ended trade won’t work out here.”

“And what would you accept in exchange?” Seto asked. Mako had lined up a hanging line with his catches, more than Seto had expected anyone to be able to bring in over the course of a day, with only a hand-carved hook and length of twine. It was enough for each of their groups to have two or more, which meant Mako couldn’t eat them all himself, and he would have to take something as trade.

“My shelter’s lookin—”

“Fire!”

They all turned at Tea’s shriek and Seto spotted the column of smoke just before the tips of the flame. It was from the direction of the garden, inside the tree line.

If it wasn’t stopped, everything would go with it.

“Get the bins, fill them with water now,” Seto said, and sent word to Seth to have him send Bakura. “Mokuba, get everyone you can to help. Stay back.”

“I want to help!”

“Get water.”

Seto ran toward the fire.

* * *

 

**Before: Part One**

When they let Joey out of his cell—that they called a room, but double bunkbeds in a ten-foot space didn’t really count—it was with his other roommates, Odion, Duke, and Mako, and they were escorted into an outdoor space, barbed wire fence surrounding them.

He recognized almost every face, some of which he hadn’t thought he would see again, and some he didn’t think possible.

He slid into a row of chairs, fold outs, all set up to face a rickety podium, and sat down beside Yugi.

“Hey there, Yug. Am I seeing double or…”

“No, but don’t ask me to explain how he’s here.”

Joey leaned around Yugi to get a look at Yami, who he had only ever seen in duels and tournaments, and in Yugi’s body. And now he had his own. Somehow.

“Hello, Joey,” Yami said. “It’s a pleasure to officially meet.”

“And you’re all, solid? And everything?”

He reached over to squeeze Yami’s arm, eyes widening when he felt just as real as the rest of them. “How’s it possible?” he asked, and gave him another squeeze. “I mean, you’re all human.”

“Perhaps one of the others has an answer,” Yami said, and indicated for Joey to look at the crowd a bit more.

When he did, the others jumped out. Ryou stood beside his double, and the thief was arguing with Malik, who held up hands defensively as the thief shouted about the other Malik. And behind Ryou, a second set Joey never would have guessed.

“Kaiba?”

“I take it my cousin was trapped inside an item as well,” Yami said. “However we were brought out, they found him.”

Joey chuckled to himself and did what he could not to gawk at the Kaibas, standing back to back and pretending the other didn’t exist. And Mokuba was standing just behind and between them, glancing side to side.

“Who’s Kaiba arguing with?”

“You remember Gozaburo Kaiba,” Yugi said. “From the virtual world.”

“His dad?”

Yugi nodded, and Joey leaned forward, but couldn’t hear what was being said over the roar of everyone’s questions and building panic. The more people brought out, the more panicked Joey let himself get. What were they all doing there? While Joey could understand how he ended up being arrested, but Mokuba? Yugi? Seren—

“Ren? Ren!”

Joey jumped to his feet and ran across the concrete, pushing aside Ishizu and Espa to wrap her in his arms. “What are you doing here?”

“They broke into the apartment and arrested me. I didn’t do anything, Joey. I didn’t!”

“I know, Ren. You’ve never done anything. Somebody better be getting with some answers!” he shouted, but none of the armed guards so much as looked his way. “They’re rounding us up. Must be getting some news soon.”

He led Serenity back to his seat, and Yugi greeted her warmly, as if nothing was out of the ordinary, and aside from Serenity’s discomfort, she did the same.

Their row filled in slowly, and soon, Joey caught on. Whoever had done this brought everyone. Every duelist who had ever been anyone was sitting around him, and then everyone tied to them. Although, he couldn’t explain Rex and Weevil, but then again, who really could explain those two being everywhere.

Once every chair was full—a quick count showed thirty-eight people including himself—a man in a suit went up to the front. People demanded answers before he began to speak, and he waited out their angry shouts before starting his speech.

“You have all been brought here under charges leveled by every country within the United Nations. A unanimous vote has determined all of you involved in the magical destruction—”

“Magical destruction?” Bandit Keith asked, hand near his face like he wanted to be holding a cigarette. “I think you mean that one.” He jabbed a thumb toward Yugi.

“Yug hasn’t done nothing to cause destruction,” Joey snapped. “You want to talk destruction, talk to him.”

The spirit beside Ryou glared at him. “Look at whose heels you’re constantly nipping at.”

The man at the front let them argue to the point of standing and shouting, and only returned to his clearly rehearsed speech when they ran out of accusations to level against each other. He remained collected and his expression never shifted.

“All of you involved in the magical destruction across our countries will be sentenced to incarceration in a location where no harm can be created.”

“And where is that?” Kaiba and Gozaburo asked at the same time.

“An island in an undisclosed location,” the man said. “The specifics of which are classified. The island in uninhabited, twenty square miles, and currently going through its monsoon season. You will arrive in a week—”

“Where did you come across an island of such size in livable conditions that is uninhabited?” Kaiba asked.

“It was agreed upon by the United Nations,” the man said, and nothing more of it. “You will be sent over with a set of supplies and houses already prepared. You will receive new installments every six months—”

Tea raised her hand and cut him off. “You are sending us all to one island?”

He didn’t answer.

“They’ve tried to kill us,” Joey said. “Half of them have.”

Mokuba and Kaiba, two rows ahead, stared at each other. Their nerves, the likes of which Joey had never seen on Kaiba, echoed through the room. How couldn’t it when they were going to be sent out with Pegasus, who threatened souls for personal gain? With Gozaburo and the five men who tried to take over their bodies? With Noa, who imprisoned them all for the sake of two? With Dartz and the men who had rode with him? With Bandit Keith? With Malik? With everyone who had ever done them harm?

“—every six months,” the man continued, “And you will be provided with flares to be used only in the event of an emergency—”

“So you can claim innocence if one of us dies?” Pegasus asked, and half the crowd nodded along with him.

“So that we can get to you in a timely manner.”

Kaiba leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms like he ran the place. “And how long will it take, exactly, for you to arrive after a flare has been fired?”

“Half an hour.”

“You happened to have an island eighty miles out,” Kaiba started, but Gozaburo cut in to finish, “But not a prison large enough?”

Kaiba glared toward him, but Gozaburo didn’t look his way.

“All of the magical artifacts will be sent to the island with you,” the man continued. “These golden items, the spirits trapped inside, and the cards accompanying you all, everything will be sent over.”

“How’s this relating to any of us?” Joey asked. “Not to point out the obvious or nothing, but I’m counting four spirits? Seven items? Not enough magic to do your math.”

“Some of us have never seen these spirits before today,” Kaiba added, and the double beside him seemed almost offended.

But as he had been all the while, the man patiently waited out their complaints and arguments to pick up where he left off. “You have all been found guilty of crimes against all nations of the world, and have been deemed a threat to civilization.”

“So why not kill us?” Kaiba said, right as Pegasus exclaimed, “There are _children_ here.”

And to both comments, the man had no answer. It was Yami who spoke next, quietly, but with enough force to command the room. “It would come across as mass murder.”

The thief snorted. “You’re one to talk.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Tea asked.

“It means you should consider whose side you’re on.”

“Aren’t we all on the same side now?” Serenity whispered behind her hand.

“Fat chance,” Joey muttered, and kept his eye on those in the group who had tried killing him a couple times. The two Maliks sitting beside each other, one leaning as far away from the other as he could, held his gaze especially. Those two would be trouble, and bringing that weapon with them?

He’d have to stick close to Yugi, or Yami. Were they still technically the same person?

It was another something to ask.

A few minutes later, and the arguing died down again. Joey couldn’t imagine what more the man up front, who still hadn’t given a name, could possibly have to say to them. They were being shipped out to fight to the death. But at least they’d be sent with their cards. Maybe they could settle a few duels before the rain reduced the cards to pulp.

“Why are you telling us this?” Mokuba asked, standing. “You’ve already had a trial to condemn me?”

“Yes.”

Mokuba didn’t sit or waver.

“If we’re condemned, why do we have to listen to you?”

Joey wasn’t the only who snickered.

“You’re dismissed,” the man said, but it was Mokuba who waved him out.

* * *

 

Ishizu and Odion pulled Malik away when the spirit came closer.

Was he a spirit? Malik wondered. Or was he his own soul ripped down the center? Was it fair to think of him as separate? Hadn’t he created this man, this person, this being from his own hatred?

The laughter echoed in his thoughts and rang in his ears. He wanted to cover them, but knew it would do him no good. A different body did nothing to keep him out, and he couldn’t keep far enough away.

“Don’t run, little Malik.”

“You will keep your distance,” Ishizu said, a hand on Malik’s arm guiding him back.

“No.”

Malik heard it, even with the murmurs and conversations from the crowd trying to overshadow the voice in his mind. It pressed deeper and deeper, luring Malik to come closer even when he fought the call. But he was tired. Why was he so tired?

_Because you need me._

“I don’t!” Malik shouted, and heads around him turned.

_You always need me._

“You’re _wrong_.”

Odion tightened his grip on Malik’s arm and Ishizu took a step between them. “You will not go near him,” she said.

“But he will come to me,” the other said, and then smiled at Malik. “You refuse to call me by our name?”

“I refuse you,” Malik said, but his breath hitched when the distance between them narrowed. “I refuse.”

“You haven’t realized,” he said, that same wicked smirk plaguing them all. “But you will. You’ll realize and you’ll come crawling back. Before the day is done, you will come to me.”

Malik shook his head over and over again. But there was no getting him out of his thoughts; the voice was everywhere and so familiar Malik never could have forgotten it.

“Denying me changes nothing,” he said, both aloud and in Malik’s mind. “I am you and you are me and we will spend our days together, Malik.”

His name sounded wrong, despite coming from what was technically his own mouth. He pronounced it differently, and that itself was curious enough.

“Is that what you want to be called then? Mariku?”

“Calling me what you like, little light.”

The constant labeling him as ‘little’ wore on Malik, and he didn’t care what he wanted to be called. Malik, Mariku, it didn’t change who he was. Giving him a different name wouldn’t remove the connection battering Malik’s mind.

Again, Ishizu demanded that Mariku leave, only this time, he did. There weren’t many places he could go in the holding facility, and although they were sharing a room, Malik hoped he stayed long for the rest of the day.

“Are you all right?” Ishizu asked him.

“I’m tired,” he said, and Odion grabbed a chair from the rows for him.

“Here. Sit.”

Malik did, and put his head between his hands. Everything felt heavy, or maybe just that he was too weak to do more than hold himself up. With the weakness came a pull in the direction Mariku had left in, and Malik refused to accept the association.

“We will find a way to be rid of him again. The Pharaoh—”

Malik stared tiredly at Ishizu. “Can we not rely on him for just one thing?”

“He will have a solution to this.”

“Why would he want one? He’s got his own body too.”

Malik gestured a hand toward the Pharaoh and Yugi, talking to each other face to face. All Malik had wanted for so long was to be separate from his darker half, and somehow, people completely unfamiliar with the situation managed it. He didn’t know if he was meant to be frustrated by it or relieved. They had done it for him.

Mostly. Mariku’s pull hadn’t let up, and Malik could still hear fragments of his thoughts rumbling in his head. The laughter was the worst, like Mariku was only waiting for Malik to cave.

“I will ask the Pharaoh,” Ishizu said, and headed his direction without giving Malik a chance to stop her. Odion stayed with him, but that was more of an issue. He wouldn’t stop her going against Malik’s wishes.

The headache mounted, to the point Malik didn’t have the energy to leave before Yami came back with Ishizu.

“Where is he?” Yami demanded.

Malik looked at Yami through parted fingers, the pressure on his temples doing too little to ease the pain and the laughter.

“He left.”

“Where?”

“Find him yourself.”

“Malik,” Ishizu said sharply. “He can help you with this.”

“I don’t want his help,” Malik said. “I don’t need _his_ help.”

If he hadn’t been so exhausted, Malik would have stormed off. But what if the prison had assigned Mariku to the same room? What would happen when they ended up on an island with nowhere to go and no one to run interference?

What if Malik could never be rid of him?

“I will take care of him,” Yami said. “Regardless.”

He left, Yugi following behind, and even with him gone, the buzz of the room filled his ears and set his thoughts ringing even louder. Everyone was arguing with someone across the lot. He couldn’t find a way to tune it out, Mariku’s voice louder than the rest.

_You know what you have to do._

Malik covered his ears, but it did nothing to stop Mariku’s voice from getting through.

_Come to me, Malik._

And while Malik hated it, the hate was overlaced with exhaustion. He hated that he understood what he needed to do, and that he was too weak to stop himself from getting up and following in the direction Mariku had gone in.

He hated that the closer he got, the less tired he became.

When they stood face to face, back in the room assigned to Malik, there was no doubt what had to be done.

“I won’t bite,” Mariku said, and offered his hand.

Even knowing it was a lie, Malik took it. And the moment their hands touched, the exhaustion began to drain out of him.

They were still connected, still two parts of a soul, and both parts called for the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> A couple notes about this one. The tags are subject to change, because this story will very likely end up around half a million words, and over the course of writing it, I might deviate from the outline. The tags I have included are so far only planned to appear in one or two chapters each. If you need a more specific warning, please get in touch with me, and I will let you know which chapters they will appear in. 
> 
> If the tags are updated, I will leave an author's note pointing it out.


	2. Day One

No one spoke when the island came into view, not that they could have since they hadn't been given headsets to speak over the whir of the rotor. Seto checked on Mokuba, sitting across from him and handcuffed to Noa, and got a tight-lipped smile in return. It hadn't felt real before, but seeing the island stretched out before them, somehow bigger than Seto imagined it to be, the realization set in. They had actually been sentenced to this, even Mokuba.

Bakura had picked the lock to the handcuffs joining him to Seto at the start of the flight, but kept them on for show. He had mostly turned to look at the island, most likely trying to find the spot where the supplies had been left. The first of the helicopters was already landing, and that meant some of them would get the first chance to take what they wanted.

How long would it take, Seto wondered, for everyone to give up survival efforts and resort to killing everyone else?

Their helicopter was the third to land, and the soldiers herded them out onto the beach. The morning was humid and the sun direct, so Bakura didn't hesitate taking off their handcuffs to remove his jacket. One of the soldiers shouted at him for having them off already, but Bakura moved on to Ryou and Seth while the soldiers were unlocking the others.

Mokuba came over as soon as he could, and Noa went the other way. Seto did a brief scan, but didn't see Gozaburo.

"Now what?" Mokuba asked.

"Now we find the supplies," Seto said. "Let's start where it's shaded."

Depending on what they were sent, it was the best option. The problem came from everyone having the same idea, leaving the soldiers the first chance they were able.

The soldiers were armed. Seto suspected that the first moment anyone tried anything against them, they would start shooting. Maybe Pegasus would get out now that he had the eye back. With the rod in Seth's possession now, Seto wasn't sure what it would end up doing.

He felt Seth responding to the thought, but also searching his mind for the words to express it. When he first realized there was a spirit connected to him, Seto had concerned himself with everything but the fact Seth didn't speak English. Now, he had spent all their time locked in the prison using Seto's memories to learn the language, and he drew from them when he needed to speak.

Mokuba stayed close to Seto's side while they navigated the crowd, some people still being uncuffed, some just getting off the fourth helicopter, and some beginning the same search Seto had set upon. Bakura, Ryou, and Seth came along behind them, and it nearly gave Seto a headache with the flashes of Seth's vision mixing with his own.

"What is the plan when we find it?" Ryou asked.

"See how much they sent us. Find my glasses."

"You can't keep using contacts?" Mokuba asked.

"Even assuming they sent a six-month supply of contact solution, just keeping the sand out would be a problem."

The forest was thick right from the beach, and Seto couldn't see more than a dozen yards in any direction. They wouldn't have left supplies somewhere like this, but somewhere more open. It led Seto back to the beach to walk down the tree line to look for any opening.

"They won't have left us without weapons," Bakura said.

"They won't have labeled them as such."

More people were coming to look, and the longer it took to find the supplies, the harder it would be to get anything. But some were going to the small shelters that had been constructed, too small to hold more than five or six people each.

Mokuba was the first to see the plastic bins, just a few feet removed from the beach. Some of them had already been opened, a few emptied, but there were still over a dozen boxes untouched. The bins themselves were worth more than people likely realized—plastic with snap-on lids—and Seto grabbed two and stacked them together.

Others had followed them over, and no one delayed in ransacking what was left. Seto watched for a moment, then stepped forward.

"Stop."

Most of them did, holding onto what they are already claimed.

"Not sure who told you you'd be the boss here," Joey said, and grabbed a stack of tarps.

And because they didn't have long, Seto met Yami's gaze.

"Listen to Kaiba," Yami said, and his tone commanded the crowd well enough that everyone stepped back. He waited until they were all still before nodding to Seto. "Did you have something in mind?"

"Let's carry these out to the beach. It will work better to divide it equally."

"Oh yeah?" someone said, and Seto searched the group for the source of the voice, ending up looking down on Weevil.

"Wheeler is holding five tarps. But...who are you?" Seto asked, looking at the man holding the entire container of water filters.

"Mako Tsunami."

Seto didn't press for an actual name. "Do you plan to stay hydrated, but exposed to the elements?"

"I'm sure we will trade for what we need," Tea said.

"You trust everyone here enough to handle that fairly?"

That at least got everyone to bring the bins out to the beach where they could all gather around to see what was left for them. But before they could begin, the helicopters took off, and they all stopped to watch them go.

Mokuba stepped closer to Seto. "They really left," he whispered. "They actually did."

Seto squeezed his shoulder. "They'll be back."

With supplies. Not to take them home.

He couldn't linger on it. Everyone had seen where the supplies were and came to join the group, and they formed a large circle around the boxes, Seto and Yami staying in the middle.

"There are seven axes here," Yami said, "For thirty-eight people."

Seto counted all thirty-eight there. "We all know we will end up splitting into groups," he said. "Go ahead and form them."

He hated that it was Gozaburo who started them off doing it, but couldn't hold onto the hate for long. Not now.

 _Stay with Mokuba, Bakura, and Ryou_ , he thought to Seth. He glanced over his shoulder to make certain the language barrier hadn't prevented him from understanding, and then checked with everyone else to see how their groups were coming along.

Beside Seto's group was the geek squad, which came as no surprise. Theirs was the largest of the groups—Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea, Duke, Serenity, and Mai, with Yami likely going to join them later.

To their left was the Doma group, Dartz, Rafael, Alister, and Valon. And then the next over was Gozaburo's group, Gozaburo, Gansley, Nesbitt, Crump, Johnson, Leitcher, and Noa.

Seto moved past them quickly to see Yugi's grandfather standing with Arthur Hopkins and Rebecca. Seto hadn't expected that one, and being so small, wondered how it would throw off their numbers.

The Ishtars were all together, and that left a few people without a group, standing alone.

"The rest of you might as well join together," Seto said, and let himself be amused at Pegasus's expression. He clearly didn't take well to being included in the leftovers—Weevil, Rex, Kemo, Bandit Keith, Mako, and Vivian Wong.

But that left them with seven groups.

"Seven axes, seven groups," Seto said to Yami.

"These aren't even groups," Crump said.

"Thank you accounting department."

He tossed an ax down in the sand in front of each group. "There are five of those rooms," Seto said, and gestured to them. "Does anyone not want one?"

Solomon stepped forward to give Seto an opposite answer than what he had asked for. "Someone's going to need to keep an eye on all that medicine. I'll take one of those houses and call it a hospital."

"Are there any objections?" Yami asked.

"Who is he to trust with the medicine?" Noa asked, and a few people around the circle nodded.

"Does anyone else feel they are more qualified?" Seto asked, and when no one stepped forward, nodded to Solomon. "Some of that will be labeled for specific people."

"And they'll all get what's theirs," he said, and Arthur went to pick up one side of the box. Rebecca stayed for their group.

"Again, does anyone not want one of those shelters?" Seto asked.

He didn't expect the Doma group to volunteer, but he did expect Yami to.

"We don't need one either," Seto said. "The rest are available to you all."

Yami opened a box and started going through it. "Water bottles and the rest of the filters."

Mako gave back the filters he was holding to, and they divided out without too much issue. Seto left Yami to handle Gozaburo and kept counting through the supplies. Twenty tarps wasn't enough, and even considering how little they had been sent with, it didn't seem right. They should have sent more. Was that one of the boxes that had been messed with?

"Three tarps each or only for those not taking one of the rooms?" Yami said, although it sounded more like he was musing to himself about it.

"We could give them each one. That would leave five for each of the groups staying outside."

Yami agreed. "They'll be covered if there is a leak or the door doesn't hold. It's the most even trade."

Seto expected objections, but didn't get any. "We don't have much time; let's make this quick."

But it probably took another hour to sort through the rest, and once they passed out the plastic bins themselves, Seto was sweating and tired, but had too much work to do with their remaining sunlight.

He and Bakura carried their supplies away from everyone else, and surveyed the area around them for a spot to make camp.

"We need to be prepared for the event of rain," Seto said. "We need to first get something ready, even small, for that eventuality."

"I trust you can handle that?" Bakura asked.

"With everyone working on it."

Seto had a basic design in mind, a structure with a slanted roof, about a foot off the ground. It would be open on three sides, but if they could determine which way the rain would likely be coming from, they could face the roof to it and cover the rest with tarps.

Given time, he would build actual houses so they didn't have to stay in such close quarters. Bakura wasn't the house mate he would have picked for himself, but the way people kept their distance from him would end up working to their advantage.

"What about food?" Ryou asked.

Seto looked down at their bin, at the bag of rice sitting on top, and then out at the forest ahead of them. "We have something to cover us tonight. A shelter has to come first."

And food would be a priority for the next day. There would be something out there they could eat, or they would learn to fish.

They picked a spot, close enough to the trees that they wouldn't be building on sand, and far enough from the rest of the group that the others wouldn't get in their way. And with one ax for all of them, building would be slow work.

"See if you can find supplies for the roof," Seto said to Ryou and Mokuba, although Seth would be going with them too. "Don't let these supplies out of your sight."

He nudged the bin with his foot.

"Will do," Mokuba said. "Don't go too far."

"We won't."

Bakura and Seto went deep enough to find trees of an appropriate size, and then alternated turns to cut them down. The shade made the work easier, but they both had to take off their jacket and roll up their sleeves.

To his credit, Bakura didn't comment on the scars.

* * *

Noa stood in the doorway of the hut they had claimed, and took it in for a moment. There were two chairs and a table inside, and that was all the furniture they had been given. There weren't any windows, just the door and its sliding lock. Noa walked a lap in a couple of seconds.

"This is ridiculous."

Gozaburo came in behind him, and after, Johnson and Crump brought in their supplies to add to the stack of what they had taken before the others found it.

"The roof won't hold well," Gozaburo said. "Put a tarp up over it."

The men moved to obey and Noa just watched them. When he had been assigned to Mokuba's room back in the prison, he thought that he might end up staying with him out here, but Seto wouldn't hear of it. And that left him to his father and useless former employees.

"We won't all fit," Noa said, voice flat.

"Not lying down."

Taking a seat, Gozaburo began to take inventory of all their supplies, including the stolen ones.

"I don't recall grabbing this," he said, holding up the plastic bag with Seto's name on it. It held a pair of glasses, contact case and solution, and a single pill bottle, although it was much larger than the typical size.

"I grabbed it," Noa said.

Seto shouldn't have excluded him.

Gozaburo turned the bottle over to read the label. "Anxiety medication," he said, and shook his head. "That's unlike him."

"Maybe it just seems that way because he's been taking the medicine."

"Perhaps."

It was put to the side for later, with no debate whether it would be returned to him. Noa watched with little interest as the rest of the box was emptied, and tried not to think about how little they had now.

He had gone from running an entire world to living off beans and leaves. Why hadn't they been left in the virtual world?

Bored, Noa stepped outside to watch everyone else scrambling to settle in. The air was sticky, so Noa slid out of his jacket and tossed it back inside, ignoring Gozaburo's protest. Everyone else was much more interesting, from the guy with the long silver hair arguing with the guy in the bandanna, to Yugi and Joey trying to build something to hold up a tarp.

It was stupid of them not to ask for one of the tiny huts. At least then they would have had somewhere to stay while they were building more for themselves. But even Seto had picked not to take one, although Noa guessed he would be be the most likely to get something built in a day.

He walked down the beach with no one glancing his way, and went to the water. After making sure that no one was around—the last thing he needed was for someone to try stealing his shoes—he rolled up his pants and stepped in barefoot.

Nothing in the virtual world could compare to actual sensations. He had gone to the beach there hundreds of times, but this was different. It was cold and sharp at the same time, while everything else was stifling hot. Grains of sand settled between his toes and shifted below his feet, and with every wave, Noa sank a bit deeper.

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad out here. Once his body aged along with his mind, Noa could build a place of his own and stay out of everyone else's bickering. There was a lot of island and nothing forcing them all to stay together. Maybe Mokuba would visit.

He stayed in the water until his feet pruned and he realized his nose and cheeks were sunburned when he scratched the side of his nose. That was another thing that had never happened to him in the virtual world.

Had it ever happened to him? Noa tried to remember if he had been burnt like this before the accident, but everything from that long ago was a blur of violins and elaborate parties. He doubted they ever took him to the beach. If they went to a park, he probably had to stay in the shade. And that made everything here feel vibrant and alive.

He was alive again and everything was new.

Noa carried his shoes and walked away from everyone else, staying close enough to the water that the occasional wave lapped up. They were nice reminders that he wasn't the boy in the computer anymore. He could be anyone here, given enough time.

Time seemed to be their only unlimited commodity.

It didn't take long to get to a point out of sight from everyone else, and in that moment, Noa felt like he was back in the virtual world, alone, save the NPCs. Noa had thought he might like the familiarity of the feeling, but it made him anxious and he quickly went back into sight of the others.

So branching out on his own might need to wait until he was more comfortable in the real world.

Instead of wandering around any more, Noa went back to the trees and sat on a fallen log to watch everyone. They all were in a rush, and shouting things back and forth that didn't make much sense when Noa could only hear pieces of each conversation, something about water and shade and glow sticks. Noa hadn't considered the problem of finding fresh water, but someone would. Then the rest of them would use the same source.

He had never drank any tap water. Drinking unfiltered water would be a bigger change, on par with moving from a computer.

The pieces of conversation were lovely though, even though Noa wasn't a part of them. He was used to the same series of preloaded conversations, and no matter how many things he asked them to try to get them to break their patterns, the NPCs never did. And hearing real conversation was amazing. Maybe eventually, he would be a part of some of it.

"What're you looking at?" someone snapped at him, some kid with green hair who looked about Noa's age although Noa was technically much older than he looked.

"Is it a crime to sit here?"

"Apparently being alive is a crime."

Noa didn't miss that kid walking off, followed by another one with hair as crazy as Mokuba's.

Looking like a child when he wasn't one was the worst. No one would take him seriously, and he doubted half of these people even knew he was a Kaiba.

They would know. He'd make sure of it, especially when Seto got mad about his glasses.

As best as he could tell, Noa was the first person to notice the storm clouds building on the horizon, but it didn't take long before his gaze drew the others' toward it. The clouds were far off, and Noa didn't look away, hoping they were moving in a different direction.

But they had been told it was monsoon season, which didn't add up with the mostly clear skies.

It took less than an hour to be sure of it, and by that point, word had spread. That storm was headed their way, and almost no one was ready for it. Noa assumed that most people would try cramming in the premade shelters, but at best, even if everyone fit, they would be squeezed in side by side for a night, and maybe into the next day.

Did they know if this island had any hazardous wildlife? Noa wondered, unsure of what connected that thought. Was it safe to sleep outside even on clear nights?

He really should have listened to those briefings they had been made to attend. The government morons who decided to banish them from society must have had a reason for picking this time of year.

What if this was the calmest time of year on the island? What if it got worse than monsoons?

Without anything else to do, Noa went back to Gozaburo's claimed shelter and squeezed inside. They all had to stand against the walls while Gozaburo sat on one of the chairs, and even then, they didn't really fit, so Noa stood in the middle.

"It won't work," Gansley was saying. "They have satellites."

"And we will work around them," Gozaburo said.

"How? With what technology?"

"We have time to make the arrangements."

"For what?" Noa asked. "Hacking satellites?"

"For getting off this island."

Noa rolled his eyes. "They have guns. And helicopters. What are you going to do? Build a raft and paddle?"

"I don't appreciate your tone," Gozaburo said. "If you want to stay out here, by all means."

It was better than getting shot out of the water, Noa wanted to say, but he didn't. The idea alone was stupid even if his father wasn't, and maybe in a few years, he would actually come up with something decent. But it seemed impossible.

"Seto will come by," Gozaburo said. "I'm sure he can be persuaded to join in."

"Why?" Noa asked, before the others could join in. "Seto hates you."

"Because a plan of this magnitude requires collaboration, and of everyone here, he will be the most beneficial. Now be quiet, Noa."

He wasn't a child to be silenced. He was well past the age of being seen and not heard, and the order combined with Seto still being more important in his father's mind was too much for him to take at once. Noa scowled in his father's direction before storming out with his jacket.

The wind had picked up as the wall of clouds grew closer. Noa put his jacket back on although it wasn't cold, and chose to explore the woods this time, even if that meant he got lost or felt alone again. Because why kid himself anymore? He was just as alone as he had been before, only now, he didn't control the world he lived in.

Inside the forest, the trees weren't as tightly packed as Noa expected them to be. He walked deeper with ease, only occasionally having to step over underbrush or a fallen tree. Voices carried by the wind still reached him, some seeming closer than others, and without realizing it, Noa followed one of them back to its owner—the man in the bandanna.

"What do you want?" he asked, leaning against a tree and smoking.

"I'm Noa. Where did you get cigarettes?"

"Personal item, so I'm not handing them out."

"I wouldn't expect you too."

Noa stood there for a while, not wanting to go since he hadn't gotten to talk to many people, and this man didn't know him. If no one knew him, then he would have a better chance at interactions.

"You're still here."

"You didn't tell me your name."

"It's Keith. Now go find someone your own age to hassle."

"You're probably closer to my age than those kids are."

"Is that right?" Keith asked. "I'd say you're barely scraping twelve."

"The morons who brought me here didn't get an age appropriate body. I'm in my twenties."

"You're shitting me."

"Wish I was."

At least if he was twelve, being stuck in a body with the chemical balance of a preteen wouldn't seem so terrible. But his body had to age naturally—although he didn't know what his father had done to keep him alive and frozen in time—and that meant bracing for teenage hormones.

"Looks like rain," Noa said, even though the trees blocked their view of the beach. But no sooner had he mentioned it than the temperature began to drop.

* * *

The shelters left for them were smaller on the inside than they looked on the outside. There was no space for beds, and although Solomon hadn't gone into any of the other four, he suspected they had the same furniture—two chairs and a table.

"Look here. Everything a group of forty needs to survive."

Solomon helped Arthur put the bin on the table, and they began to sort through it. In the top of the container, smaller bags had been left, each holding bottles, contact solution, glasses, and the like, all labeled with someone's name. Solomon found his and Arthur's to set aside.

"Rebecca can deliver the rest when she's back," Arthur said. "Maybe that will make them less inclined to attempt thievery."

"Yugi's told me about the lot of them. I'd expect it anyway."

"These doors lock."

But when Solomon tested it, he found the wooden latch easily breakable. Just two nails held it together. "We slept against worse back in Egypt."

"We did, didn't we?" Arthur mused.

They kept working through what they were sent, reaching the bottom too soon. Taking a seat, Solomon and Arthur looked over the supplies in silence, taking in the minimal resources they were sent to supposedly ensure their survival.

"We'll die if anything gets stolen," Arthur said. "They hardly sent more than a few bandaids."

There were limited antibiotics, more painkillers than anything, and only enough to sterilize a few injuries. It looked like it should have been more, but it was hardly more than the contents of a dozen first aid kits tossed inside.

"Even if they restock it twice a year, this isn't enough to go around."

"And at some point, it will be easier not to restock."

Their situation had seemed dire before, but now, it was staring back at them. They would be able to mend cuts and bruises, but nothing more, and given their circumstances, more was on the horizon.

"We'll have to monitor our output," Solomon said, "And not let those kids convince us that a cut needs a painkiller."

"Painkillers aren't going to be our issue."

They had no idea what they would be facing out here, and with the combination of people, there would be no telling what sort of troubles might come their way. Any accidents, any fights,  _anything_  might result in medical needs they wouldn't be able to handle.

"We can't tell them," Arthur said. "It will cause a panic and people will steal what we do have."

"You're right," Solomon said, slapping his hands on his knees to signal the end of their moment of self pity. "First things first, this roof isn't going to do us any good in a solid soaking. We should tie up the tarp."

Arthur picked it up. "We don't have anything to secure it just yet."

"Then first things first will be bumped to second. And second things first...it would be real handy to have shelves in here."

"That also will take the supplies Rebecca is collecting."

"And I doubt they sent us a plane to smooth out any shelves. But even tacked up logs would be better than leaving all this on the floor."

They would figure out something. Modern innovations were a new thing, and people made shelves for thousands of years before machinery did the work for them. Although, sandpaper would be welcomed. Solomon didn't imagine they would send sandpaper, but not a suture kit.

Solomon volunteered to stay with the medicine while Arthur went to help Rebecca bring over what they were assigned. The three of them standing in the shelter with two large bins side by side, and the rest of the medicine scattered, practically filled the whole space. That earned another moment of consideration before they pushed through.

"Let's get that tarp up before the monsoon comes down," Solomon said.

"Rebecca, would you deliver these bags to everyone? The names are written on them."

She said that she would, and only took a few at a time. She could have carried more, but they all knew the risks of having her drop off a limited resource. It was better not to carry too much, and she separated them by group for added protection.

Arthur tossed the tarp over the roof for Solomon to catch on his side, and while Arthur held down one end, Solomon nailed the other into place.

"Now let's just hope these things are built to withstand a hurricane."

"I would rather hope we are out of the main paths of any hurricane zones," Arthur said.

"Hope big or not at all. Let's add a few nails around the door too. And maybe all over. If someone tries to steal it, they'll get a holey tarp."

It didn't take as long as they expected it to, and before too long, Yugi came over. "How can I help? They have enough hands working over on our shelter."

"Are you going to have something up by tonight?" Solomon asked. "We can all try to squeeze in here."

"We'll be okay. Besides, someone has to guard our stuff, and knowing Yami, he might start a shadow game with anyone who approaches, so he'll need us around to talk him down."

Solomon chuckled, and the laughter seemed to bring on a headache, which he blamed on the heat. "Maybe one of these days, I'll get used to seeing him running around beside you. But you raise an interesting point about those darned shadow games. There's a lot of dangerous magic out here."

"Yes, well, I don't think Pegasus is going to try anything with the eye, and Kaiba, or I guess Seth, has the rod now. And he's got Bakura with him, so maybe he won't be a problem."

"Ah yes. Kaiba the problem solver. He's well-known for that."

"He isn't so bad," Yugi said. "He's come a long way."

It was hard to believe, given that he had chosen to join forces with someone as violent as Bakura, and that on top of his past actions. It would take a lot more than supposedly changing to prove anything.

"We want to put up some shelves," Arthur said. "If we can cut down some trees and split the logs, maybe we can mount those for shelves."

"I'll help with that," Yugi said, and took the ax.

Yugi's help gave them time to unpack everything, and over the course of the day, they got the medical shelter put together. The bottles were lined up on the rough shelves, which only meant they would have to be careful when taking anything down. They stacked the bins to make space and closed the door when the wind picked up.

"Should we alphabetize it all?" Arthur asked.

"It would give us more to do. We also need to make dinner. Does anyone have a fire going?"

Boiled rice would get old quickly, but certainly there was something more to hunt out here. And someone would know how to fish. They would get by so long as no one was hurt or injured.

Joey had a fire going by the shelter they had put together. It was little more than a vague structure, but it had been covered in enough tarps that the water might stay out. But it was fairly small, and there were so many of them.

"Some of you can stay with us tonight," Solomon said. "Looks like it will come down hard."

The clouds that had been building all day had grown dark, and the occasional bolt of lightning struck the open water.

"What happens if lightning hits us?" Serenity asked. "Everything will catch on fire."

"If it happened that much, this whole place would be burnt," Joey told her. "We'll be fine."

The odds of them being struck were slim, but not impossible. Hopefully they would have time to get out of the shelter if it was struck. What other options did they have? Tunnel underground?

They ate the rice, which was overcooked and mostly mush since they hadn't been able to measure it or the water.

"Where's the water source?" Solomon asked.

"There's a lake or a pond maybe half a mile back," Tristan said. "We filtered the water and boiled it first, so hopefully that's enough."

"It will be fine," Arthur said. "Did you see any fruit?"

"Some bananas," Tea said, "And coconuts, but the few trees we found with them were too tall. We'll find away to climb them tomorrow."

"Well be careful with it," Solomon said. "Don't go getting yourself hurt. There's bound to be more out here."

"Unsalted and unflavored rice isn't good," Joey said, but took a bite, and then spoke with his mouth full. "And won't keep us going through tomorrow. I've got tons of exploring to do."

"Mako was getting things together to fish," Mai said. "I'll charm some out of him for dinner tomorrow."

"Unsalted fish. That's a step up."

"Now then, Joey. Are you going to complain about everything?" Solomon asked. "I don't see a winning attitude there."

"Yeah, but I'll only do this for the first week or so. Don't worry about me, Gramps. I just need to get the words out."

The thunder grew louder, and the group shifted a little closer to the fire. The temperature went from sweltering to chilly in almost no time, and the sudden change likely meant a stronger storm.

"Let's get settled before the rain gets in," Solomon said. "But rinse out that pot first so the rice and starch don't stick."

Yugi took it to wash out and Joey came up to Solomon. "Can Ren stay with you tonight? The kids probably should be in something fairly secure."

"She's welcomed to. And it's small, but we can make room for a couple of more if we press in."

"I'd say take the girls, but they'd probably knock me good for it."

"That they would."

After putting out the offer, it ended up being Joey and Mai who went with them to the shelter, and they made it just in time. The rain started with a drizzle, and not a minute later, poured.

Although they didn't have many, Solomon cracked one of the glow sticks they had been given and set it in the middle of the space. It was too early to sleep, but the clouds blocked out most of the light, and what little remained outside couldn't get in.

"There's people stuck out there," Joey said. "Not any sort of way I'd want to spend a night."

"They certainly saw the storm coming," Mai said. "They had time to find some place to shelter."

But how secure could anything made in a day really be? Solomon wondered. How many of them could do more than pull a tarp over their heads and wait for the morning?

The wind shook the tarp violently, and the door rattled in place. Serenity rested under Joey's arm, already shivering. And as terrible as the thought felt, Solomon hoped it was caused by the nerves, not the cold.

Because it was just going to get colder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> You can expect an update around Saturday, June 16th.


	3. Day Two

Seto woke under the tarp they had all used as a blanket, arms around Mokuba, pleased to find them both mostly dry. The rain that had come through hit harder than Seto had expected it would, but the crude shelter had held together.

"Our things are going to be drenched," Bakura said from the far end.

"Everything that can't get wet is in the bin."

And stored directly under them to make it more difficult to steal.

But when Seto sat up, knocking Seth's hand off his arm in the process, he glared at the rain still coming down. They had too much to do today for it to be raining, with a solid gray sky that didn't indicate a break any time soon.

"Someone might have kept a fire going," Ryou said hopefully.

"They didn't." Seto didn't have to look around to know that. He was certain that everyone had sheltered for the night, and none of the places for it could keep a fire safely going. "If we let the rice soak, it will be fine even without being cooked."

"Cold mush," Mokuba said. "That's a breakfast of champions."

"We need to get something built that will keep a fire going through the night," Seto said. "Or at least to be sure we have kindling to start one every morning. There won't be anything dry enough for it now."

Why hadn't he thought to set aside some of the sticks and branches they ended up not using on the shelter? It had been a foolish mistake, and one he didn't plan to make again.

"What will we do with the day?" Ryou asked. "Just hide from the rain?"

"No. Not that."

Seto looked to Mokuba rather than anyone else. He had to think in terms of what would keep Mokuba the safest and healthiest the longest. That meant a safe, better shelter than this, protecting their supplies, and finding a steady supply of food.

"You two stay here," Seto said to Mokuba and Seth. "Knowing the people here, someone is going to end up trying to steal unguarded supplies."

"I can't help just sitting here," Mokuba said.

"We're going to have to reinforce the roof without tarps," Seto said. "I'll go out and cut down more trees, and you can work on weaving them in to the existing structure once I'm back."

He felt Seth tugging at this thoughts for a translation, and couldn't force him out. And on top of that, his eyes were hurting from wearing the contacts for so long. The doctor back at the holding facility had assured him they would send his glasses and medication, but he hadn't been about to find them in the medical supplies.

Someone out here would have contact solution. Seto just needed to find them and trade something.

"I'll handle breakfast," Ryou said. "I can have something together in an hour."

Bakura would go with Seto to help carry everything they cut down back. It was as good of a plan as they could have in the beginning and with the rain to consider. Down the road, they would be able to do much more productive things with their day.

"We'll be back in less than an hour," Seto said, and pulled up his hood.

"Open the tarp while you're gone," Mokuba said. "It's really dark."

Seto did, tying it back so it would stay, and then heading out with Bakura and their ax.

"We need a structure that will keep a fire going overnight," Seto said. "If we can get a break in the rain for a few days, we can make bricks. Build a fireplace."

"We need separate places."

"One thing at a time."

Working with Bakura and Ryou shouldn't have meant living so close to them, but for now, it was a necessity. Judging by what all they had to do, Seto could get a second shelter built in a week. But that one would be close too so that the supplies didn't need to be separated. If he built them face to face, that would help block out the weather.

"Have you noticed anything we should be watching out for?" Seto asked.

"Mariku has his eyes on you. Your father—"

"Gozaburo."

"Gozaburo is clearly hiding something. My guess would be that they sent more food and he has it. The one with the bandana has been eying people's supplies."

Bakura kept listing all of the issues he had seen, and it ended up being something with almost everyone. It was a lot to remember, but Seto repeated them all mentally. Knowing who had issue with who would end up playing a role in their lives.

They picked a spot to start cutting the trees.

"How is Ryou handling all of this?" Seto asked.

"By pretending nothing is happening."

Seto couldn't comment, because he wasn't doing much better than that himself. Seth was an issue he wasn't ready to think about with everything else going on. Survival first, then petty squabbles.

"I don't suppose you know of a way to break this physical connection."

"I wouldn't be tethered to the landlord if I could break it."

Seto started swinging. "Someone has to know how."

"No one I'm willing to ask."

That was telling enough Seto knew who he needed to go to, and wasn't much interested in that either. But breaking the connection with Seth would be worth tolerating Yugi for a few minutes.

"They haven't split up either."

"Then it isn't possible and you should stop whining about it."

Seto stopped for a moment to glare, but his eyes hurt and he didn't think it worth the effort. But over Bakura's shoulder, he spotted Gozaburo.

"There's twenty square miles of island you can loiter on," Seto said, then got back to work.

"And you control where people walk on it?"

Gozaburo came closer, and Seto adjusted his grip on the ax. He wouldn't try anything, not with a witness.

"Did you want something?"

He took another swing.

"I take it a reasonable conversation is out of the question?"

Seto wasn't sure what it was, the headache, burning in his eyes, exhaustion from how little sleep he had gotten the night before, or absolute disinterest in dealing with Gozaburo again, but he handed off the ax.

"Tell me what you want."

"Walk with me."

After letting Bakura know he would return shortly, Seto followed Gozaburo a ways, walking in the opposite direction of the beach and potential passersby.

"This is an effective prison," Gozaburo said.

"It is."

"You sound like you've accepted it."

"I sound uninterested in this conversation."

As expected, Gozaburo only smiled knowingly, and continued moving forward.

"I won't spend the rest of my life here."

"Miss living in a simulation?"

"I've been restored to life. It will not be a life here."

"Is this all you wanted to talk about? Should I wish you good luck taking on satellites and the men surely patrolling the seas in the event of an escape attempt?"

"Seto."

"What."

"Whether you accept it now or down the line, you will end up helping me."

There was no reason to keep walking, so he didn't. "Why do you think I would do that?"

"Several reasons. Either you will decide you don't want your brother to spend his life here, and I'll already be well on my way to freedom, or you'll get tired of being blind."

Of course.

"You have my glasses."

"Come by when you're ready to talk."

Gozaburo kept walking, and Seto lifted his face to the leaf-covered sky, and didn't let himself say everything pressing that was coming to mind. It mostly would have been cursing, and he would not let Gozaburo see him react.

He had work to do.

Bakura had two trees down when Seto got back and was going at a third. There was nowhere dry to sit but Seto did anyway, and took out his knife to start trimming the branches.

"What did he want?"

"The same thing he always has. He won't get it."

But Seto did have to get his glasses back somehow. It was six months until the next supply drop, and he didn't think they would bring extra glasses. The flares were for emergencies only, and if he fired one for this, they wouldn't take an actual emergency seriously.

He would have to agree to whatever Gozaburo wanted, even if he didn't follow through with it.

Gozaburo would have the pills too. Seto really hadn't wanted anyone to see those, knowing they would get the wrong idea from them.

"Trade with me."

Seto gladly switched places for an excuse to hit something. When they had told him his sentence, Seto's thoughts had immediately gone to survival, and now everything was clouded. Dealing with Gozaburo should have been the last thing Seto was concerned about, and now it was at the forefront of his thoughts.

He felled three more trees before they headed back.

"Niisama? You should eat before you head out again."

"Ryou come through?"

"He did. Found some fruit and we made some rice to go with it."

It was more than Seto expected, so he nodded toward Ryou in thanks. They gathered back under the tarp to eat, and Seth's hand moved to Seto's wrist.

If not for the sudden rush of energy, he would have taken his hand away. But he had plans to get a lot accomplished before sundown and would need the strength.

"We need more than rice and fruit," Mokuba said. "I want to go help Tristan with the garden."

"Take Seth."

"He doesn't even speak English."

"He'll learn, and I need to keep an eye on things."

Mokuba stuck out his tongue, but continued eating right after. There wasn't any point in dragging out the meal since the rice was cold and wouldn't be getting any better. They ate the rest in silence, and then Ryou looked over the peels left from the fruit.

"We should start a compost pile."

"Handle it," Seto said. "And see if someone stole fishing gear. They must have sent some."

"Can I work in the garden or on the roof?" Mokuba asked.

"You'll have time for both today."

"We'll be busy," Mokuba said.

"That's the idea."

They all had their plans and went their separate ways, only pausing to time everything so someone would stay close with their supplies. Seto took the first shift, Bakura going to fell more trees, and took the branches they had trimmed to put them inside the shelter.

They would dry, and when they did, they would keep a fire going. It wasn't much, but it would have to be enough.

* * *

"Safe to say this didn't shelter anything," Joey said, walking a small circle inside the mess of sticks and tarps they had hung up the night before. "Everything's soaked through."

"It won't get better," Tristan said, and leaned back a bit to look up at the sky. "No end in sight."

Tea pulled her hood up a little more. "We can all fit into that room for another night. We don't have to use this...tent, tonight."

"There isn't room," Yugi said. "Grandpa needs to sleep, not sit upright and rigid all night."

"Means getting this thing put together. What'd everyone else get built?" Joey asked, and turned in a wide circle to see around the beach. But he didn't see anyone else's setup, not aside from the pre-built shelters. "Where are they all?"

"They can't build on sand," Mai said. "Try walking down a bit and looking at the trees."

The rain made it harder to see, so walking would be his only choice. But it was obvious what they had built wouldn't serve its purpose, and that meant stealing design ideas from someone else.

"They should've just built actual houses," Joey said right before pulling his own hood up. "Someone needs to get breakfast going."

Tristan and Serenity volunteered, and Joey shot Tristan a look.  _No funny business with my sister._

Yami and Yugi offered to join him for the walk, although no one started on it. The rain had gotten heavier, and Joey could tell they were all stalling to stay under the tarp.

"Still just as tough to be in two different bodies?"

"We're getting used to it," Yugi said.

"There may be a way to increase the separation," Yami went on. "For the others as well. Having to keep so close to another person isn't practical in this situation."

"And how're you going to manage that?"

"Almost all of the items are on this island," Yami said. "With them—"

"Not a chance. We don't need half of these clowns getting the idea to start using magic."

"Joey," Yugi said, saying his name slowly like he was about to correct him. "Having to keep physical contact so much is a problem."

"So's that maniac getting ideas," Joey said, pointing a thumb toward the Ishtar's shelter.

Serenity put the cap back on her water bottle. "But Joey, he doesn't have one of those items anymore. Kaiba has it now."

"And is that really any better?"

Tea pulled a face. "Of course it's better. He at least has Mokuba around to balance him out when he gets to be too much."

"I like the kid," Joey said, "But he's done crazy before. Maybe find a way without tripping off all the magic out here?"

"I will do what I can," Yami agreed.

"Swell. Let's figure out food and this thing."

They all looked up at the tarp, hanging limply toward one side where it was pooling water. Joey raised a fist to empty it, although it wouldn't be long before it refilled. It wasn't going to stay how it was, but even if they tightened it, it was too high and flat to block out much of the rain.

"Somebody's made a better one," Joey said. "Let's go spy them out."

"I don't think they'll care if we look," Mai said.

"I actually think they will," Tristan said. "But I'm going to try getting these seeds planted."

They hadn't been sent with many, and while it had been decided that one garden would be better than a lot of smaller ones, it would end up being much harder to keep an eye on what they planted. The Doma group had taken some of them, and Tristan had the rest.

"Maybe we should build a fence," Yugi said, clearly thinking something the same.

"Or put it real close to us and keep watch," Joey added.

"The others may disapprove of it being immediately beside us," Tea said.

"Can we really help that?" Duke asked. "I'm sure half the people here will understand why."

"It's the other half we're worried about," Yugi said.

Trying to figure out how all of this would work was frustrating, and the rain still coming down made it all the worse. They were somewhat dry underneath the tarp, but the wind brought the rain in anyway, so only their heads were staying dry, and even Yugi and Yami couldn't say that much.

"I'm going for the walk," Joey said. "Someone see if Mako caught anything."

Not that they could cook it.

It had only been a day, so Joey didn't expect anyone to have anything built. And over half of them had holed up inside one of those shitty huts. Maybe if he found Doma, they would have something they could copy? Or Kaiba. Kaiba was bound to have something good. He wasn't the type to let Mokuba sleep between two tarps and nothing else.

But a short ways down, it was looking like all anyone had gotten together was the same as Joey had. There were a couple tarps hung up between trees, a few from the huts, and nothing solid in sight.

Until he came across Kaiba's.

"You built this in a day?" Joey asked, walking a lap around the structure. It was raised off the ground by about a foot so the water didn't collect, and the roof was built at a hard angle, closed off on two of the three open sides. And the one that was open still had a tarp to cover it, but it was tied back to let in the light.

Only Mokuba and Seth were inside.

"It was all we did yesterday," Mokuba said. "I don't suppose you've got anything more than rice to eat yet."

"Not yet. We're looking into it. So is this all nailed together?"

"No, some of it's tied off with ropes," Mokuba said, pointing.

Joey tested a few of the knots and tried to build a good mental image of how it was put together. If Kaiba had gotten it done in a day with four people and a kid, then they should be able to get one done too.

"He doesn't talk much?" Joey asked, glancing up at Seth.

"Doesn't know the language really well yet. Niisama's just using him as a babysitter since he can see through Seth's mind or something."

"Creepy. How deep you bury these support poles?"

"Two feet, and it's got an x-shaped base to make it even steadier under there."

Joey shook his head. "Your brother's a dick, but he thinks of the details, that's for sure."

Mokuba grinned proudly. "Yes he does. And if you see him, tell him that I am a detail who could be working rather than hiding from the rain."

"Can do."

After a couple more laps, Joey thought he had what he needed to head back. It was early, which gave them plenty of time to finish it, even if they didn't know what they were doing super well. But who really knew what they were doing out here? Maybe Bakura. But the rest of them? They were all just winging it.

It was still raining when Joey rejoined the group, who all had pitched in to try to dry off their supplies and make breakfast at the same time.

"Kaiba's got a good one together. I think we can get the same sorta thing made in not too long."

He described it and drew a rough sketch in the sand, running his finger deep so the rain wouldn't immediately erase it. His didn't look as good as the actual thing, but it ended up close enough they all knew what he meant.

"If we get the frame together," Yugi started, "Then we can cover the roof with a tarp tonight, and finish it tomorrow. That gives us time to go get food and water too."

"Kaiba got this thing together with just his people in a day. We're twice that."

"And he's an engineer," Tea said.

Joey scoffed with a dismissive flick of his wrist. "Big whoop. We've got the two best strategists in the world standing right here."

"Oh yeah," Duke said, picking at something stuck under a fingernail, "Because that's the same thing."

"Can we stop talking about Kaiba and get started?" Tea asked. "The rain will slow us down."

That was true, and every minute would count in these first couple of days. Maybe it wouldn't be too long before they had everything built, a garden growing, and plenty to eat. Then they could take it easy for a while.

"Where's Ren?" Joey asked.

"She went with Mai to talk with Mako. And then to find out if there's anything dry here we can use for a fire."

"Doubt it, but no harm in checking I guess."

There was harm in wandering off alone out here, but Mai was tough. She'd keep a good eye on Serenity, and if she couldn't fend off any troublemakers, Joey trusted she'd scream.

Duke and Joey took their ax and headed out into the woods to start cutting down what they would need for the frame while Tea stayed with Yugi and Yami and their supplies. Somebody would end up helping out Tristan, and if not, Joey would pitch in the next day.

Cutting the trees and dragging them back to the beach was hard work, and without having eaten anything, Joey and Duke wore out quickly. The rice Tea offered them wasn't much, but it had to at least get them through the day. They would sleep better in the new shelter, able to lie down rather than sitting up in the tight space with Gramps.

"Mokuba said they made some holes and support beams," Joey said. "Wider on the bottom so they would hold."

"We can get them dug out," Yugi said. "But the ground is drenched."

"Build deeper and pack it down? We don't got much of another choice here."

Between that and cramming into that little space again, Joey would take his chances. "Besides, what else do we have to do today?"

It didn't seem like anyone else was doing much of anything. Joey spotted Pegasus a ways down, and Vivian standing in her doorway, but no one else. He guessed they might have all been out working somewhere he couldn't see, but that would be a lot of people conveniently gone. It was easier to assume they were all trying to stay dry.

There wasn't a chance for him to do that now. The jacket kept out most of the rain, but he still felt damp underneath it.

Serenity and Mai made it back right after Joey finished eating, hands unfortunately empty.

"He not trading?"

"He might not have been able to catch anything," Tea said.

"He has," Mai said, "But he won't just give them away. He'll give us three if we chip in to build him a shelter once ours is done."

A few glances around their group settled the matter.

"Sold," Joey said. "Let's hope we don't have to eat these things raw. What's the word for that?"

"Sashimi," Mai said. "And our matches should be dry. We just need kindling."

Joey nodded a couple times, looking out over the forest and the rain dripping down from the leaves. "After twenty four hours of rain. That's going to be a challenge."

"We'll find something," Yugi said. "Half of us can look for that while the other half stays here to build."

Joey, Yugi, Yami, and Duke stayed for the building, while the girls went in search of firewood. They took one of the tarps with them so that when they found something, it wouldn't get wet on the return trip.

"If these people ever come back to bring us more supplies," Joey started, "I'm going to let them have it for only building those paper huts."

"They'll have guns," Duke said.

"And we'll have righteous fury. That'll even it out."

"I don't think righteous fury will make you bulletproof," Yugi said, elbows deep in the dirt.

"What about all your shadow games?" Joey asked Yami. "You could send them all to the shadow realm and we'll take one of the choppers out of this place."

Yami was helping trim the branches off the trees they cut down. "And what happened to not using magic while we're here?"

"Not doing it during normal times, but I think even the big bads won't try anything if we can get an escape going. Not against us, anyway."

"It took five helicopters to bring us here," Yugi said. "It will likely only take one to bring supplies, and that's if they come back with any."

Joey hadn't considered that part, but figured that Yugi was right. Of course they'd suspect an attempt on the helicopters, so if they just brought the one, it solved the problem. Joey could mount a daring attack and take the helicopter, but then he'd have to fight off Kaiba, Doma, and Mariku to keep it. They'd kill each other and government would still win.

"You would magic everyone unconscious first."

"Ishizu would know what was happening," Yami said. "And she would expect places for the four of them to leave."

And with the eight people in their own group, plus Gramps, Arthur, and Rebecca, they'd never fit.

"We've got plenty of time to come up with something better. And it isn't like you've lost to everyone here like they've lost to you."

"If we going around saying things like that, it might give them ideas about banning together," Yami said.

Joey couldn't imagine that happening, but he also never would have imagined being imprisoned like this for trying to save the world. So, he supposed he shouldn't shut down any ideas just because they were ridiculous.

The rain let up a couple hours later, right as Joey and Duke were holding the frame together for Yugi and Yami to nail into place. Cheers went around, even though there were still enough clouds to make Joey think it might not hold off for long, but the break was great.

He took down his hood and ran his fingers back through his hair, damped despite having been covered all day.

"It's taking the girls a while."

"I should go looking for them," Duke said, and Joey shot that down.

"You and Trist got to lay off my sister."

"They could be lost," Duke said. "I have to lay off even if it means helping them?"

"I'll help them just fine."

But it had been too long. The shelter needed to be completed, although not at the expense of losing track of the girls. He trusted Mai, but didn't like not knowing where Serenity was.

He craned up to look out over the tree line for them, and didn't see them anywhere close. Joey was about to give up on building to go out in search, but just as he was about to start, he looked down the beach and found them talking to Mako.

"Over there. They've got something under the tarp."

That meant they could get something to eat, with a fire built. Could they keep the fire going? If so, then they just needed the shelter.

They could make this work, couldn't they?

* * *

If the fucking rain would stop, they might have been able to find some food. Rex sat under a tree that didn't stop the rain, but just made it come down in much larger drops, with his tarp pulled over his head. It didn't do anything. The ground was soaked so his pants were soaked, and even his socks.

They hadn't been given more clothes, and apparently none of these losers knew how to keep a fire going. That made him cold and wet, and Rex was tired of it.

He watched Pegasus adjust his own tarp to close off the entrance to his shelter. He was just at the edge of Rex's sight, close enough to everyone to be involved, but far enough for his own space. It wasn't such a bad setup, and it looked like he'd built something that at least kept out the rain, but it wasn't Rex's style. When the rain let up and he hijacked what he needed, he'd hightail it somewhere private to set up shop. Weevil would tag along because that was what he did, but it'd be private enough.

But first, this rain needed to stop.

It didn't though, and when his hunger got to be too much, Rex had to get up, hood drawn. Although, he guessed there wasn't much point to it. What'd it matter if his hair got wet too?

He marched over to that weird hut thing the outcasts had been assigned, but Keith and Vivian had claimed. She'd let them take shelter in hers the night before, but after that, they were on their own. Except for their food. They all agreed to keep the rice inside and out of the rain. Rex planned to get a cup of it and go, maybe scout out more of this hellhole. Someone had mentioned seeing fruit, and if he grabbed it while everyone else was hiding, then he would have it and they wouldn't. It wasn't as if these people would be doing any rationing.

"You stealing food?" Weevil asked when Rex came out with his rice.

"Can't steal what's mine, dipshit."

"Where're you running off too?"

Rex let rainwater fill the cup to soak the rice. It wouldn't be good, but it would be something.

"Scavenger hunt."

"They didn't leave us clues."

"Stay put then."

"You're more interesting than these grub worms."

"I'm not searching you out if you go get yourself lost," Rex said.

"Well I'm not either," Weevil said. "And I'm way more likely to survive in the wild than you."

"Are not. What are you going to do, eat larvae?"

"At least that's a practical idea. What are your plans? Hope this place goes Jurassic?"

"Shove it. Just stay here."

"And do what? Start a farm? Build a sandcastle? Hide from the rain?"

Rex headed out without answering, and used his finger to stir the rice around. Maybe he should have filtered it first, but that would have taken too long, and they had to get used to the water eventually. The government wouldn't be going back for them. What they had was all they'd get.

"You're not really moving to the other end, are you?" Weevil asked.

"Might be. All we know, they dumped us on the worst bit."

But after a short walk, Rex started to think it was all the same. The whole place was just trees and sticks, with occasional rocks mixed between them. The ground was rough, like someone had mixed sand in all over, and no matter how deep they walked, the rain didn't stop.

"No way this place is so big without someone having settled here before," Rex said to himself. "Twenty miles...someone else is here."

"They wouldn't send criminals to an inhabited island."

"I'm not a criminal. Are you a criminal?"

Rex stopped walking when he saw Mariku, who stood alone, but looked through the trees at someone. This guy seriously freaked him out, and keeping a wide berth, Rex worked his way around.

But he did take a peek through to see who Mariku was watching so intently, and found Mokuba and Kaiba—or was it that other one—right in his sights. That was another thing Rex would keep his distance from. All these people had so many personal issues with everyone else here.

"What are you looking for?" Weevil asked once they were clear.

"Anything to make this place suck less."

"What might that be? Abandoned five star hotel?"

"If there is one, would you complain?"

"Not if it had a bed. Can you believe they didn't send beds? Even death row convicts get a bed."

"Maybe this is the new death row," Rex said. "It might go well for them. They might like this idea too much."

"They'd run out of islands."

They wouldn't. They had their island, and it was only a matter of time before people started dying off or being killed. If they sent more, they'd overpopulate, and then people would really start dying. Or maybe they would just die anyway without being over populated. Rex didn't know and didn't want to stick around the chaos long enough to find out.

Rex stepped over a fallen tree, pausing mid-step when he heard voices. There were a lot of them, more than he expected to find this far out, which probably wasn't that far when he thought about it. They weren't a mile deep, and for as many people as he heard, this must have been where the water was.

It was. About a dozen people were hanging around a pond that wasn't really a pond, Rex thought. Not if it had a waterfall, which it did. A small lake, maybe? Either way, it was water and now he knew where it was.

Rex finished off his rice and went to fill his cup.

"You should filter that," Serenity said. "Here."

Tea, Mai, and Serenity had one of their big plastic tubs filled with water, and from Serenity's offer, Rex assumed they had already filtered it.

"Yeah, okay, thanks."

He sipped it while looking around, first at the waterfall, then up the mountain it came from, and then around at everyone here. They were all clustered into their groups, a couple of Gozaburo's men, a few of the outcasts, two of the Ishtars, and then the girls from Yugi's group. He wondered how long it would take for all these clean cut groups to dissolve or break apart. Hopefully not long.

They let Weevil fill his too.

"Any food around here?" Rex asked the girls. They had helped once, so they might again.

"There's mangoes growing just down that way," Tea said. "And I think someone said there were coconuts around there too, but I didn't see them."

"Anyone know how to open a coconut?"

His question was met with silence.

"Great. Just great."

There wasn't any point in staying here with everyone else around, and the whole point of this expedition was to find a place away from these people. He would have to go to the whole other side at this point if they were here.

Given how long he had waited for the rain to stop, today wouldn't be the day to make the trek across. It would be dark when he got there and he wasn't camping out alone in the middle of nowhere with just a tarp and maybe a mango.

This was all the pits. Nothing out here had been meant for survival or practicality, and Rex just knew that was all intentional. And they needed to punish the magic users, but all the rest of them? That was a stretch of logic he doubted anyone could span.

Although he wasn't planning to stay out overnight, he kept heading away from the main beach. He believed his words from earlier, that there was no way this much land had been uninhabited for thousands of years. It wouldn't surprise him if the governments that banned together to make this call had uprooted people, and that meant there would be  _something_ here to find.

If he found it first, he'd be able to trade for all the stuff he wanted. Maybe they divided it fairly, but there still hadn't been enough, so he didn't have enough.

"The rain stopped," Weevil said.

"Water's still coming down."

"That's just residual water dripping down, dumb wad."

Rex didn't like admitting that Weevil was right, but he was. It was clear when they came to a hill and the trees opened up to it and a cloudy, but rainless sky. Rex left his hood up, not wanting to chance it starting again, to begin his ascent.

Maybe he'd see something useful from up high. This place was the size of a city, which meant there was no way he could see everything at once. Even the equivalent of a few blocks would be enough.

_Something_  had to be enough.

The air at the top of the hill was thicker and damp, and it made every breath feel like it weighed a lot more than it did. Rex was sluggish at the top, but did what he came to do, looking out over the island.

And he saw nothing but trees and sea.

"Dammit. Fuck it all. There's nothing. Nothing!"

He turned in a circle, still looking. Trees to the left, to the north, in every direction, and beyond them, blue. How couldn't there be anything? A whole city's worth of people could have fit here and there was just nothing?

"What were you expecting to find?" Weevil asked. "Not the fantasy."

"Houses. Roads. Signs that people lived here and they had to clear out quickly."

"No one would agree to move like that."

"Have you read history? Since when do governments care what natives think?" He shook his head. "There's something here. There's something, and I'm going to find it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry for the update delay!
> 
> You can expect an update around July 15th.


End file.
